Me · creativity

Hi-atus 👋

As much as I love this blog, what I really want to do is write the next great American novel (yeah, thinking small haha). So I’m putting this blog on hiatus until I complete the novel.

The book is about heartbreak, an audacious plan, and a year of heaven and hell.

I’m 100 pages in and hope to finish it by 2027.

For inspiration, here is Steve Jobs as he was managing a struggle company  in the 90’s talking about saying “no” to most of the things you want to do and narrowing your focus to what natters most. And it worked! I dig it.

I’m dropping music for now too. My killer album will have to wait until after the novel too. 🤦🏻‍♂️

See you around!

creativity · Me · Music

“I’m Writing a Novel” 🎵

Featured patmcg2 Comments

As previously noted, I’m writing a novel. 🧔🏻

Not only did Casanova find the idea amusing, but apparently so does Father John Misty. I guess it’s not such a “novel” idea after all.

And I’m writing a novel because it’s never been done before.

Hey, you guys may laugh, but my book is going to be good! Okay, maybe not as good as Father John Misty’s song, but still good.

Progress update

I’ve narrowed my 70 planned chapters down to 48. And on my third draft of the first 16 pages.

Less is more, baby.

creativity · Me · Music

“What you don’t know, you can feel it somehow.” 🎤

6 November 202311 November 2023 patmcg5 Comments

I always liked the song Beautiful Day for its optimism and presence.

It’s a beautiful day. Don’t let it get away.

Sure, that’s the obvious takeaway and a great reminder that every day counts.

But the last part of the song has been inspiring me even more as I dig into a scary new skill, which I hope is the right kind of difficult for me: playing, singing, and eventually writing my own songs. 😱

I do not have a good track record here so far.

I have spent most of my life as the kind of guy who could play Stairway to Heaven on guitar and be done with it. “I’m a guitarist.” 🤷🏻‍♂️ Then I recorded a cover with a friend and built up some confidence.

What I really want is to do find my own voice. Literally.

Despite never considering myself a singer (and consistently receiving negative feedback whenever I have tried 😆) I am jumping into singing with the help of an expert music teacher who always sees the best possibilities.

And that’s half the journey.

Touch me, take me to that other place
Reach me, I know I’m not a hopeless case

Which brings me to the best part of Beautiful Day: the last bit, the part about forgetting what you don’t have now and feeling your way, somehow, into the new.

What you don’t have, you don’t need it now
What you don’t know, you can feel it somehow

Stay tuned. 🎤

What a beautiful day.

Me · Quotes

“It’s not National Geographic. Or The New York Times.”

27 May 202310 June 2023 patmcg1 Comment

In one of our regular before-school conversations at Mozart’s Coffee, my daughter and I were talking Instagram.

I told her I keep pretty high standards on what I post. “Each post has to be unique and interesting – something nobody has seen before, and preferable well-composed.”

My daughter, who is 17 and posts anime edits regularly, caught onto a hint of perfectionism creeping in and encouraged me to post more often and just archive what I don’t love.

“Dad, it’s not National Geographic,” she said. And then, knowingly, after a little pause, “Or The New York Times.”

My daughter speaks wisely, and she knows me better than I know myself.

In another life, I may be a jet-setting New York Times photographer or even a reporter tracking down warm criminals. But in this life, I’ll be happy with posting some cool photos around town.

I love it when people I know tell me wise and useful things.

The view of Lake Austin from Mozart’s on a foggy morning. Deemed *not* Instagram-worthy. 🤔

entertainment · Me

Cultivating cultivating

29 May 20228 April 2023 patmcg1 Comment

My daughter finds the best shows to watch. She introduced me to the amazing Avatar series. More recently we’re watching Neon Genesis Evangelion, a post-apocalyptic anime series from the 1990’s. 🤩

One thing jumped out to me in episode 17. The cool guy Kaji, who seemed like just a shallow “player” type, introduced his friend Shinji to his secret watermelon garden.

It’s my hobby. Don’t tell anybody, okay?

Shinji was feeling down at the time, and Kaji was trying to lift him up.

It’s great to make something. To grow something. You notice things and figure stuff out. Things you enjoy, for example

Shinji was’t super receptive at the time, but I knew exactly what Kaji was talking about, having experimented with gardening some myself in my tiny urban plot.

There was the early attempt in the pandemic, then everything getting wiped out in the 2021 snowpocalypse. Hints of a natural rebirth, then actively clearing out the dead brush for new growth. This was followed by some small success at growing something you can eat, and then some wild growth this spring.

Right now I’m eating a few bell peppers, tomatoes, jalapeños, and strawberries from my tiny garden. The pesky birds and squirrels have caught on and are usually getting to the good stuff before I do. 😭

Still, I don’t mind feeding the wildlife. I just like to grow stuff. 🤷🏻‍♂️